MINNEAPOLIS — “We do wedding planning, event planning, and event design as well,” says Jenna Culley, owner of Jenna Culley Events.
She’s one of several Twin Cities wedding event planners that are now breathing a sigh of relief after Gov. Tim Walz’s recent announcement loosening COVID-19 restrictions, starting Monday.
“It was a good day on Friday when that news came out,” she says. “We were so excited, a whole year of having to disappoint clients, instead of having good things to tell them.”
According to Gov. Walz, occupancy limits on wedding ceremonies and religious services will be removed – although social distancing and masks are still required.
“The tip of our business started before COVID-19 happened,” says Jamie Grays, cofounder of Simply Wed, a micro wedding business – catering to customers who may want a smaller wedding. “For our business, it did help us out, but I did see a lot of other wedding planners going through changes, a lot of cancellations, a lot of venues having to push weddings back therefore losing out on money."
As far as receptions, venues can open at 50% capacity with up to 250 guests, with capacity for larger indoor and outdoor venues increasing starting April 1.
During a recent interview, Dr. Anthony Fauci mentioned the future of indoor weddings, saying it all depends on the level of infection within a community. “If we keep going down and get to a very, very low level, when we’re there and we have a good proportion of people vaccinated, I think you are going to see weddings in the normal way,” Dr. Fauci said.
While Culley says it’s been a tough year for people planning weddings, and the wedding industry as a whole, she has advice for those planning a wedding in the near future. “I highly recommend getting a planner,” she says. “It is a little bit of a jungle out there right now and I anticipate the same in 2022, as well.”
To contact Simply Wed, visit their website here.
To contact Jenna Culley Events, visit their website here.